Trudeau apologises for blackface images
Justin Trudeau yesterday said his “privilege” had blinded him to the racism of wearing blackface, after several old photographs emerged of him wearing brown make-up. The Canadian prime minister refused to rule out the existence of any more images, after his reputation as a liberal poster boy was shredded a month before a general election. Mr Trudeau said he “deeply regretted” the incidents, saying it was the sort of discrimination ethnic minorities “face on a regular basis”.
JUSTIN TRUDEAU yesterday refused to rule out the existence of more pictures of himself in blackface as he said white “privilege” had blinded him to the racism of the practice.
Three separate cases of the Canadian prime minister wearing blackface have emerged in the last two days, shredding his reputation as a liberal poster boy, a month before a general election.
At a press conference yesterday afternoon, Mr Trudeau said he “deeply regretted” the incidents, adding it was the sort of discrimination ethnic minorities “face on a regular basis”.
“I didn’t see that from the layers of privilege that I have. And for that I am deeply sorry, and I apologise,” he said.
He refused to be drawn on whether further photographs may emerge, saying: “I am wary of being definitive about this because the recent pictures that came out I had not remembered.”
Mr Trudeau admitted he did not reveal the episodes to the Liberal Party during vetting processes when he ran for office, saying: “I never talked about this. Quite frankly I was embarrassed.”
The Canadian leader’s political turmoil began on Wednesday night when Time magazine published a yearbook photograph from 2001 of a 29-year-old Mr Trudeau wearing robes and a turban, with his hands, face and neck coated with brown make-up.
As a teacher at West Point Grey Academy in Vancouver, Mr Trudeau was attending an Arabian Nights-themed gala dressed as Aladdin. In the few photos from the event, Mr Trudeau appears to be the only guest in make-up.
Yesterday, Global News released an undated low resolution video of Mr Trudeau wearing blackface, raising his hands in the air and sticking out his tongue. “Wearing brownface is an act of open mockery and racism. It was just as racist in 2001 as it is in 2019,” said Andrew Scheer, the opposition Conservative leader, adding the prime minister was “not fit to govern”.
Addressing the media on his campaign plane, Mr Trudeau admitted he also “wore make-up” while performing the Harry Belafonte song Day-o at a high school talent show.
“I’m p----- off at myself, I’m disappointed in myself,” Mr Trudeau said during his apology. He said he did not consider it racist at the time but knew better now. He dodged a question about resigning, saying: “There are people who’ve made mistakes in this life and you make decisions based on what they actually do, what they did, and on a case-by-case basis, I think. I
‘I deeply regret that we, that I, did that. I should have known better but I didn’t’
deeply regret that we, that I, did that. I should have known better but I didn’t.”
Stephanie Chouinard, professor of politics at Queen’s University, said of the images: “This is the Trudeau brand imploding.”
Mr Trudeau is widely seen as a leading exponent of multiculturalism and diversity. Asked four years ago why he had nominated a gender-balanced cabinet after his landslide election victory, he famously stated: “Because it’s 2015.”
Popular support for him has slumped this year following accusations he pressured Jody Wilson-raybould, his former attorney-general, to drop a criminal inquiry into engineering giant Snc-lavalin. The company, accused of handing out bribes worth millions of Canadian dollars to Libyan officials between 2001 and 2011, employs 3,000 workers in Quebec, where Mr Trudeau’s own electoral riding of Papineau lies. In August, Mario Dion, an independent ethics commissioner, accused him of violating Canada’s ethics laws, while the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was reportedly in contact with Ms Wilsonraybould, who was expelled from the Liberal caucus, to discuss the matter.
Heading into the Oct 21 election, Mr Trudeau is currently tied with Mr Scheer in the polls.
Jagmeet Singh, leader of the thirdplace NDP, called the image insulting. “It’s about every young person mocked for the colour of their skin,” tweeted Mr Singh, who himself wears a turban.
The gala Mr Trudeau attended – which also featured belly dancing, according to a 2001 school newsletter, raised $160,000 for the academy.
The Liberal Party did not respond to The Telegraph’s request for comment.
‘It’s about every young person mocked for the colour of their skin’